Afia Mondial 2026.
Afia turned the 2026 World Cup into a cooking tournament on social media: eight Saudi-based food creators were drawn into national teams and followers voted on who went through.
- Brand
- Afia Arabia
- Market
- Saudi Arabia
- Region
- Saudi Arabia
- Year
- 2026
The challenge
A cooking-oil brand has no obvious way into a World Cup crowded with official sponsors and star footballers. But matches are watched at home over shared food, which gave the category a reason to be there.
The idea
Afia borrowed the tournament's mechanics rather than its look. An opening draw assigned national teams to eight creators, who met in head-to-head cook-offs across appetisers, mains and desserts using Afia oils and spices, with a food creator known for his narration acting as commentator. After each round, followers voted on Instagram to decide who progressed, and giveaway posts added more ways to join in; 21 Reels ran across Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, backed by paid media.
Results
- More than 42 million views and 65 million impressions against a 40 million-view target, according to Campaign Middle East's case write-up
- 29,936 Instagram votes cast, according to the same write-up
- Engagement up 465% on the brand's pre-campaign benchmark, according to the same write-up
- 14 more creators and public figures joined without payment and about 15K followers were gained, according to the same write-up
Case study source: Campaign Middle East Source ↗
